How to compress an acoustic guitar
To compress an acoustic guitar, use a ratio of 2:1 to 4:1, an attack of 10 to 25 ms so each strum keeps its pick, and a release of 80 to 150 ms. Aim for 3 to 6 dB of gain reduction on the loudest strums, so the part sits steady without sounding squashed.
| Stage | Detector | Ratio | Attack | Release | Gain reduction | Threshold, peaks at −6 dB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Even the strums | RMS | 2:1 to 4:1 | 10 to 25 ms | 80 to 150 ms | 3 to 6 dB | −18 dB |
| Catch pick spikes (optional) | Peak | 4:1 to 6:1 | 1 to 5 ms | 40 to 80 ms | 1 to 3 dB | −9 dB |
Acoustic guitars use 2 stages on this page: even the strums and catch pick spikes.
1 stage is part of the starting point, and 1 more stage waits until you hear a problem.
Across them the ratio runs from 2:1 to 6:1 and the gain reduction targets from 1 to 6 dB. Set every threshold last, by watching the gain reduction meter, not by copying a number.
The stages, in order
Even the strums, 2:1 to 4:1
Loud strums jump out and soft picking gets lost. Brings the strums to a steady level so the part sits under the vocal.
Start with the RMS detector, a ratio of 2:1 to 4:1, an attack of 10 to 25 ms and a release of 80 to 150 ms. The slow attack lets the front of each note or hit through before the compressor reacts, which keeps the punch. Set the release so the meter falls back to zero before the next note or hit, or the next one starts already turned down and loses its punch.
Lower the threshold until the meter shows 3 to 6 dB of gain reduction on the loudest parts. If an acoustic guitar peaks near −6 dB, that is a threshold of about −18 dB. The RMS detector reads the average level, which sits a few dB below the peaks, so its threshold sits lower.
A soft knee of 6 dB makes the compressor ease in, so the change is harder to hear.
Catch pick spikes, 4:1 to 6:1
Single picked notes still poke out. Grabs the sharp pick attacks the first stage lets through.
Start with the Peak detector, a ratio of 4:1 to 6:1, an attack of 1 to 5 ms and a release of 40 to 80 ms. The fast attack catches each peak before it gets past. Set the release so the meter falls back to zero before the next note or hit, or the next one starts already turned down and loses its punch.
Lower the threshold until the meter shows 1 to 3 dB of gain reduction on the loudest parts. If an acoustic guitar peaks near −6 dB, that is a threshold of about −9 dB.
This stage stays out of the starting point. Add it only when you can hear the problem in an acoustic guitar.
The settings in Live 12
CompressorLite, Intro, Standard, Suite
- Model
- RMS
- Threshold
- -18.0 dB
- Ratio
- 3.00 : 1
- Attack
- 15.0 ms
- Release
- 120 ms
- Knee
- 6.0 dB
- Makeup
- On
A 15 ms attack keeps the pick on each strum. If the part starts to sound flat, raise the threshold before you touch the ratio.
Glue CompressorStandard, Suite
- Threshold
- -15.0 dB
- Ratio
- 2
- Attack
- 10
- Release
- .1
- Makeup
- 3.00 dB
Glue Compressor stands in for the stage that evens the strums. At 2:1 it keeps an acoustic steady under a vocal. Aim for 3 to 6 dB on the loudest strums.
In short: even the strums at 2:1 to 4:1 with 3 to 6 dB of gain reduction. Then switch the compressor off and on at the same loudness, and keep it only if the part sounds steadier, not just louder.
Strummed and fingerpicked parts
A strummed acoustic jumps around in level all the time. The down strums hit harder than the up strums, the player digs in on the chorus, and one loud chord can poke out over the vocal. The main stage on this page smooths that out. It uses the RMS detector, which follows the average level of the strumming instead of every pick, with a gentle ratio of 2:1 to 4:1 and an attack of 10 to 25 ms.
That attack is what keeps the part alive. The pick at the front of each strum gets through before the compressor reacts, and then the ring of the chord is held steady. Too fast an attack and the strums lose their edge and blur together.
A fingerpicked part has a different problem. The level is lower overall, but single notes can snap out, especially a thumb on the low strings or a hard pull on a high one. If those notes still poke out after the main stage, add the optional second stage. It uses the Peak detector, a fast attack and a ratio of 4:1 to 6:1, and it should only take 1 to 3 dB off the loudest notes. Most of the time its meter sits still.
An acoustic alone or in a band
How much you compress depends on what else is in the song.
When the acoustic carries the song with a voice, the listener hears every detail. The dynamics are part of the playing, so keep the compression light. Aim for the low end of the range, about 3 dB on the loudest strums, and let the soft parts stay soft. A part that swells and drops with the song sounds human.
In a full band, the acoustic usually plays a supporting role. It fills the space between the drums and the electric parts, and it needs to stay at one level so it never covers the vocal or drops out of sight. Here you can lean on the main stage harder, toward 6 dB on the loudest strums. The part then sits steady, and you can set its fader once and leave it.
Either way, set the compressor with the whole track playing. An acoustic that sounds natural in solo can be lost in the band, and one that sounds squashed in solo can sound just right in the mix.
Before you compress, check the recording
A compressor brings up the quiet parts of a sound, and on an acoustic that includes the parts you may not want. Listen for them before you add one.
Finger squeaks on the strings get louder when the quiet parts come up. So do breaths, chair creaks and the hum of a room. If you hear them now, they will be louder after compression. Cut them out of the clip, or turn them down with clip gain.
The low end also matters. A mic close to the sound hole picks up a lot of boom, and that boom pushes the compressor around, so it turns the strum down at the wrong moments. Put your EQ cuts first in the chain, so the compressor only reacts to the sound you mean to keep. The acoustic guitar EQ guide covers those moves.
If one section was played much louder than the rest, fix that with clip gain too. A compressor works best when it only has small jumps to smooth.
Mistakes that squash an acoustic
Too much gain reduction is the main one. Past about 6 dB the strums lose their shape, the ring of each chord swells up between hits, and the part starts to sound flat and tired. Raise the threshold until the meter only moves on the loudest strums.
Too fast an attack is the next. It catches the pick on every strum, and the part goes soft and dull. Keep the main stage at 10 ms or slower.
Judging louder as better catches everyone. Makeup gain makes the acoustic louder, and louder sounds better at first. Match the level, then switch the compressor off and on, and keep it only if the part sounds steadier.
Turning up the ratio to get more control is the last. If the part sounds flat, the fix is the threshold, not the ratio. Raise the threshold so the compressor works less often, and keep the ratio gentle, at 2:1 to 4:1. A high ratio clamps down hard on every strum it catches.
Questions people ask
What compressor should you use on an acoustic guitar?
In Live, Compressor works in every edition and gives you the detector, the knee and an exact release time, so it is a good first pick. Glue Compressor, in Standard and Suite, at 2:1 with a 10 ms attack keeps an acoustic steady under a vocal. Either one does the job if you keep the gain reduction to 3 to 6 dB.
What is the best compressor setting for acoustic guitars?
In Live's Compressor, try Model on RMS, Ratio at 3.00 : 1, Attack at 15.0 ms, Release at 120 ms and Knee at 6.0 dB. Lower Threshold until the loudest strums show 3 to 6 dB of gain reduction. The 15 ms attack keeps the pick on each strum. If the part starts to sound flat, raise the threshold before you touch the ratio.
How do you compress an acoustic guitar?
Start with one gentle stage on the RMS detector at 2:1 to 4:1, with a 10 to 25 ms attack and an 80 to 150 ms release, and aim for 3 to 6 dB of gain reduction on the loudest strums. If single picked notes still poke out, add a fast Peak stage after it at 4:1 to 6:1 that takes only 1 to 3 dB.